Bridging The Educational Gap

Some Colleges Working To Bring Students Up To Speed

Graduating high school does not guarantee a student is prepared for college-level work. Many students find their skills do not always match up with what is expected in college.

Colleges and universities faced with a large number of incoming students without adequate reading, writing and arithmetic skills grapple with the problem partly by offering remedial classes.

About 30 percent of all first-time, full-time college freshmen took remedial courses in 1995, according to the most recent of three surveys on the topic by the Washington, D.C.-based National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of Education.

As poor test scores of high school students became a political issue, a spotlight shined on remedial education. But between 1983 and 1995, the proportion of students taking such courses was stable, said Bernie Greene, the center's remedial education studies project director.

Anthony Camastro participated in Columbia College Chicago's pilot summer bridge program last summer. He joined after scoring below par skills on the school's pre-college exams in reading, writing and math. Some students are disheartened at finding themselves held back from regular college courses, educators said, but Camastro welcomed the assistance.

"I looked at it as they want to help, so I'm going to take advantage of it," said Camastro, a freshman at Columbia. Camastro, 18, said the program also helped ease his transition into college because he met other students and learned his way around campus before the first semester.

"I thought it was a good way not only to show freshmen coming in what college work was, but I met friends and it gave me more confidence going into college," he said. Camastro will use the college's writing center for tutorial help during the school year.

Many universities shun the term "remedial" education, preferring instead to dub the courses developmental or enhanced learning. Remedial implies the student was taught the skills but did not catch on, said David Breneman, dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Developmental means the student never was introduced to the work in the first place, he said.

At South Suburban College in South Holland, more than 80 percent of incoming freshman place into developmental courses, said Diane Ostojic, dean of liberal arts and sciences at the two-year school.

Not all students enrolled in these courses are fresh out of U.S. high schools.

"A high percentage of people taking remedial courses are older, returning adults who need computer training and haven't done math in 10 to 12 years and need a brush up," Breneman said. "It's also immigrants who aren't products of our high schools at all and need English or writing skills."

These lower-level courses have long been a part of higher education, educators said.

"It's easy for people to think the past generation was better prepared than the present," said Robert Maxson, president of California State University, Long Beach. "I don't know that public schools are doing (worse) as much as people are paying attention to it now."

Even students who maintain a "B" average and take a college-preparatory curriculum of four years of English, three years each of math and science, two years of a foreign language and a fine arts or art course can graduate high school without being prepared for college-level work.

Many universities work with high schools to ensure students learn more than what is required to score well on national college-entrance exams. Schools also are imposing stricter requirements on students to ensure their skills are up to college standards.

Even top-tier institutions like the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor offer some type of entry-level course. These courses can be a key to promote student retention.

According to some educators, pre-college-level courses should be taught only at community colleges. Some higher-education institutions are trying to trim the number of students who need these courses by coordinating curriculums with high schools to prepare students.

What students do not learn in high school varies from school to school, educators said.

"In some cases, there is such an emphasis on accountability and test scores, students are spending quite a bit of time taking tests rather than reading novels and writing papers," said Craig Kirsch, director of the Upward Bound program at Columbia College. The federally funded program prepares high school students from low-income families for college.

"We think the answer is for our university to work with public schools," Maxson said. "The message we're sending is you need to take care of this business before you leave high school."

HELPING HANDS FOR FRESHMEN

Here is what some colleges and universities are doing to create a seamless education for students:

California State University, Long Beach, requires that local high schools administer writing exams during 11th grade to gauge students' abilities. Students with low scores must take an intensive writing course before graduating high school.

South Suburban College in South Holland, mandates that students with 12 credit hours pass reading, writing and mathematics exams before taking most other courses.

Columbia College Chicago and DePaul University, Chicago, offer summer bridge programs so students can acclimate to university life while also brushing up on basic skills.

The University of Michigan's Comprehensive Studies Program allows students to take introductory courses with smaller class sizes.

Most colleges and universities offer test-taking and time-management courses to ease students' transition.